Readers' Cars Found In Barns - Barn Finds

Written
by
Christopher Campbell
on April 9, 2009 Contributors: Randy Lorentzen, Jerry Pitt, Tony Thacker, The Barn-Find OwnersSurvivors, Old Racers, Historic Jalopies, And Rusted Hulks--They Are Still Out There And Ready To Find.

Everybody has jumped on the barn-find bandwagon lately. Nearly every event we attend has at least a pair of heavily patina'd jalopies with barn find scrawled on the broken windshield. We can't even search for a project car online without turning up a few dozen ads proclaiming the subject to be a genuine barn find. Most are counterfeit.

The most overmarketed, overused automotive idiom coined in the last decade doesn't always elicit a true relic. If it's just been in your garage, shed, or barn for 30 years, it's not a barn find. Even if it was in a barn when you bought it, that doesn't make it a barn find. The real-deal barn finds, the ones guys rightfully get excited over, have truly been off the radar, hidden away, or forgotten about for decades. They're hidden treasures of the highest order. The best real finds begin with rumors and stories that sound too good to be, just can't possibly be, and yet somehow turn out to be true. Turning them up is an escapade of chasing leads and knocking on doors to track down something that may or may not exist, may have already been found, or may turn out to be something entirely different, thanks to years of accounts passed in a giant game of Telephone.

The real ones are still out there for those willing to put in the time. As proof, we bring you these hot rods and muscle cars that once were lost and now are found. Hopefully they'll inspire you to never give up on a lead and to keep your eyes and ears peeled.

2/19

Roger Morrison's '57 GasserOften when race cars are tucked away, the speed equipment that made them great grows legs and disappears. That's not the case with this '57 Chevy 210 post sedan found and donated by Roger Morrison to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Built by Woodrow Wilson Smith and raced in Wichita and Arkansas City, Kansas, by Don Johnson from 1967 to 1971, the '64 vintage 327 is fitted with an Offenhauser cross-ram dual-quad manifold and Mallory ignition, which were in place when Roger found the Tri-Five in Wellington, Kansas, in 2005. Inside, the original Hurst shifter, Sun 10,000-rpm Super Tach, Grant steering wheel, and plastic-sheeted original seats remain intact--so do the scars of battle, including the dents in the hood from a fan scattered during competition. --Tony Thacker

3/19

David Espino's '69 CamaroDavid Espino is one of the rare few who honed his barn-finding skills beginning with swap meet Hot Wheels. Eventually, they went into storage, but when he pulled them out again years later, David was surprised to find many had become valuable. Interest renewed, and David began selling vintage Hot Wheels on eBay. In time, his nose for sniffing out rare Hot Wheels crossed over to fullsize toys and produced some enviable deals, but this '69 Camaro practically fell into his lap. One day David received a call from someone curious about the value of a '69 Camaro project car. Intrigued, he asked a few questions and learned the car had sat in a garage, partially dismantled, for about 18 years. It was in the way and needed to be sold soon, so the owner was considering a sight-unseen offer of $1,200. David was there the next day. After some mild negotiating, a price was agreed on and David called around to find a flatbed to haul it home. Unfortunately, he quickly found out that projects in pieces aren't popular with haulers. Luckily, friend Steve Strope of Pure Vision came to the rescue and worked with David into the wee hours to piece the Camaro back together and get it to its new home.--Christopher Campbell

4/19

David Espino's '69 Mach 1Yes, David Espino is a twice-lucky man. If he weren't such a nice guy, we'd probably hate him. This barn find actually came to David by proxy, since a friend pulled it from its 15-year rest and then passed it on to him--though a little worse for the wear. Apparently, while his friend was working on the car, gasoline fumes were ignited by a nearby water heater pilot light and the ensuing flames encircled the Mach. Unbelievably, David's friend made it out unhurt and was able to extinguish the flames before the Mach caught fire. The smoke damage was extensive, however. Disheartened at his damaged find, David's friend offered him the Mach, but David passed. A couple of years later, David got a call: "I'll trade you the '69 Mach 1 for two years of storage space in your warehouse," was the proposal. "Done," David replied. "Where do I sign?" A massive collection of collectible toys occupied a significant section of his warehouse for two years, but the Mach was his. Though the paint and interior have significant smoke damage, the car is in great shape. David's initial plans are to turn it into a daily driver with a coat of semigloss black, a new cam in the Top Loader-backed 351W, and some updated suspension and brakes--though we hear Steve Strope is already whispering more elaborate plans in his ear. --Christopher Campbell

5/19

NHRA Museum Roofless '32 CoupeThis Deuce's story begins with '50s drag racing. The gutted coupe fell into the hands of Harrison Miles, who with the help of Jack Shard, gave it the whack job. The edges were rolled with exhaust tubing, the cowl was extended back, and the leading edges of the suicide doors were leaned back. The reborn roadster changed hands a couple of times before ending up with Melvin Tull. A welder by trade, Melvin had modified the Z'd '32 frame with '40 Ford pickup steering, a dropped and drilled I-beam front end, a '56 Pontiac three-speed, and a '69 Mustang rear. After shoehorning in a 322ci '48 Buick straight-eight, Melvin went testing at El Mirage in 1990. He ran a record-setting 151 mph. The following year his son, Lee, and friend Ray Kinney took it to Bonneville and set a new record at 169.491 in XXO/STR, besting the old record by 18 mph. The record still stands today. The car was ultimately sold to Butch Leonard, who put it back on the street without destroying the car's integrity. Sadly, Butch passed away and the car sat in his garage for many years until his wife, Jan, finally called the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum to ask if they would be interested in a donation. Of course, they were, and the staff wasted no time getting the '32 relocated and placed on display. --Tony Thacker

Lewis Eisold's '77 Z28Back in 1977, Lewis Eisold's father special-ordered a '77 Camaro Z28 from H&H Chevrolet on his return from a U.S. Air Force tour of duty. On May 20, he picked it up, and it served daily duty until 1981 when it was sold. He never saw it again, but the memory of the Camaro stayed with Lewis' father and he frequently wished he had it back. In November 2006, Lewis' mom came across the original paperwork on the Camaro, which included the VIN. Lewis knew this was his chance, and the search was on. Within 24 hours, the Camaro was located in West Point, Nebraska, where it had been since 1983. Nearly 30 years after his dad took possession, Lewis was able to bring the Camaro back home in December 2006. The years of storage weren't kind, however, so Lewis has slowly been gathering the parts to return it to the factory-new condition his dad enjoyed it in.--Christopher Campbell

9/19Luckily, it had only sat uncovered for a few months after being pulled from the shed. Otherwise, the cool fish scales might have been destroyed by the sun and weather. A good bath and a little dent massaging is all it took to call this one finished.

Todd Ward's '55 Chevrolet 210 Del RayWe wish we knew salvage yard owners as considerate as Ervil Headrick, who gave Todd a heads-up on this '55 210 Del Ray sitting in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. It had been inside a dilapidated shed for years until it began to collapse around the car. Todd loved it but was short on cash, so he called his friend Mark Young to come look at the car as well. Mark was equally excited, so he and Todd agreed to go 50/50 on the purchase price. The unique fish scale stripes painted on the hood, trunk, and rear quarters are absolutely staying, but the original straight-six and three-speed were pulled and replaced with a far more appropriate double-hump-headed, solid-lifter cam small-block with a four-speed. To preserve the feel of the car, Todd and Mark spent a lot of time tracking down vintage and era-appropriate accessories, such as the Vintage Wheel Works V40s fitted with Hurst Pie Crust Cheater slicks and BFGoodrich Silvertowns from Coker Tire. After many long nights, Todd and Mark got the '55 on the road just in time for the Drag Bash nostalgia show at Knoxville Dragway in Maynardville, Tennessee, where it received a plaque for Top 12 People's Choice.--Christopher Campbell

Ron Gustin's '57 CorvetteRon sent a barn-find story so mind-boggling we wouldn't have believed it without photos. Seven houses away from where Ron lived was a little red barn in the middle of a pleasant, green Idaho field. For 27 years, Ron had passed the barn on a regular basis on his morning walks. One day, while talking with a friend, the barn came up and the friend mentioned there was an old Vette in there. Ron figured it was just lore, since he'd never seen it, but on his next walk he stopped at the barn and peeked through a knothole in the aged, red wood. Sure enough, in the faint light, a first-gen Corvette was discernible under blankets and junk. No one lived at the property, so Ron bided his time until he saw the owner mowing the grass one day. Ron struck up a conversation with him and was able to strike a deal for the car. On August 4, 2006, the matching-numbers '57 Corvette came into the light for the first time in 38 years. Ron spent the next year on a frame-off resto to turn it into the '57 Vette he'd been wanting ever since graduating from high school in 1957.--Christopher Campbell

Don Garnett's '23 T-BucketThis T was built by 21-year-old Clovis, California, native Terry Haun in 1963 and launched not only a lifetime passion for hot rods but a lifetime of building them. A few years after it was completed, Terry sold the T to Don Garnett in Fresno, California. After enjoying the car for a few years, the gentleman stored it in a building in his salvage yard. It might still be there today, if not for the efforts of Terry's friends. Unfortunately, after a good life building dozens of hot rods for himself and his customers, Terry lost a five-year battle with cancer. As a fitting tribute, his friends tracked down the Don, who was happy to dig it out and lend it to them. At his memorial, the first roadster Terry ever built was parked next to the last one he ever built, which was finished just two days before he passed away. --Christopher Campbell

15/19Todd says the interior could use a little freshening, but for now he just threw a blanket over the seat for driving.

Todd Hamm's '37 Ford Five-WindowOut of all the barn-find submissions we received, Todd Hamm had by far the most cherry example. Can you believe he found this '37 Ford business coupe in this condition? Perhaps most shocking of all, the gentleman he purchased it from had owned it for the past 47 years and had only driven about 2,500 miles over nearly five decades. Talk about your garage queens. Todd admits it was only dumb luck that he found the car. A friend of his had just finished a '36 Ford project, and Todd rode along with him on the trip to show it to the previous owner. He loved the finished car and told Todd and his friend they should see the '37 his neighbor had tucked away. Intrigued, they drove the car over and struck up a conversation with the neighbor. The '37 wasn't for sale, but Todd just couldn't get the coupe out of his head. A while later, Todd inquired again and was able to strike a deal. The gent said he'd paid $560 for it. Todd was obligated to pay quite a bit more, but he says it was still a great price for a car that required no more than plug wires, a water pump, belts, hoses, tires, and a tune-up. We couldn't agree more; you just don't find cars like this. --Christopher Campbell

Jeff Essick's '65 Comet CalienteTalking to local racers led Jeff Essick to this '65 Mercury Comet Cyclone racer dubbed ScatCat No. 2. The 289ci and Top Loader-equipped Comet ran C/Gas during the '70s and was raced by the Cox brothers mostly at Farmington Dragway in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He doesn't have much on the history, but other than the loss of the driveline, the Comet appears to have been left as it was. Over the years, its body, paint, and interior survived amazingly well, despite the obvious lack of concern evident by the junk stacked atop it in the barn. Jeff's plan to restore it to its as-raced condition will mostly center on getting the drivetrain correct. Jeff had to ask about the name, and he learned there was a ScatCat No. 1, allegedly an ultrarare, 1-of-50, factory lightweight '64 Comet. Ever had that missed-it-by-that-much feeling? That was Jeff. Unfortunately, the '64 has yet to resurface, but Jeff is happy with the '65 and plans on keeping his nose to the ground in hopes of eventually parking both cars in his garage. --Christopher Campbell

19/19Anyone brave enough to resurrect it? We'll be on the watch for it at Bonneville.

Nat Wheeler's Mothersill StreamlinerSometimes urban legends have a little substance to them. That's what Nat Wheeler discovered when he and his brother were wandering around in the desert surrounding Lake Havasu City, Arizona. There, in peeling, sun-baked, blue paint and sitting atop a ramshackle trailer in an old junkyard, were the remnants of what appeared to be a streamliner. Nat had heard stories of what locals called the Mothersill Streamliner and thought he must have found it. When they inquired with the old recluse who ran the place, he would not say how he came to possess it, but he did elaborate on what he believed to be the history. According to him, the streamliner was built right after WWII by a group of "crackpots" from Ohio and was powered by an Allison aircraft engine, two Jato rockets, and a something similar to a Turbonique Drag Axle that reportedly ran on a mixture of liquid oxygen, hydrazine, and 100-proof vodka. That formula just has land speed record written all over it, doesn't it? We're curious, though; if you have further history, send it our way at HOTROD@HOTROD.com. --Christopher Campbell